Game counter



March 18 1924. 1,486,983

D. MCDONALLD GAME COUNTER` Filed June 12. 1922 I www Patented Mar. 18, `1924.

UNITED i STATES PATENT oi-"Ficl-z.

norman mmonum, or Looismma, xmrrucxr. am coUNfrEa. l

To all whom'z't may concern.

Be it known that I, DONALD MoDoNAm,

, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the. city of Louisvill lin the county of Jefferson and State 'ofv entucky, havein- Vented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Counters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to. game counters and particularly to a -tallying m for the game of bridge. Ask the description ofthe invention proceeds, however, it will be noted that this counting system is equally adaptable with slight modifications for tallying the scores of other mes.

This invention' mainly to an improvement in the game counter described and claimed in my application Serial Numl ber 468,262 filed Ma 10th, 1921.

The principal vant and object of this invention is to provide a simple and convenient device wherein the tallying of the score of the game of bridge is facilitated and whereby the status of each player as regards total score and points lin the current game will be always apparent. .i

By the use of m improved game counter the necessity for ee ing any part of the score with pencil an per is eliminated and the winnings or the osses of each player is constantly apparent. Furthermore, it is highly desirable particularly in scoring the .time the status of any layer as regards the number of points sco inasmuch as this oftimes influences the bidding.

My invention therefore contemplates the provision of 'means whereby the status of any player as regards total score will be always apparent and :also means whereby the total numbervof points scored by each player on the current` game will lbe apparent as Awill also the particular game of the rubber in which the points are being scored.

In car ing out my improved system of tallying,llyprovide a plurality of racks from which project posts adapted to contain chips of distin ishing colors and different valuations. evaluations of the chips are so selected that the majority of scores made at bridge can be paid with a single chip and furthermore .that any possible score can be paid by a combination of these chips. To

kfor ascertaining which game of inthe current game 'Number 468,262, a base 10 Application lied June 12, 1922. Serial No. $67,859.

i i facilitate the reading of the losses or ins of any player the posts of each rack ave delineated thereon in a vertical row the consecutive combined value of -the chi bothvplus and minus and thesevaluations in distinguishing eolorssuch as for instance, black and red. When therefore, each post has the `original number of chipsv thereon the number zero is visible immediately above.

the pile of chips while the addition or sub traion of the chips from any post will .cover oruncover numbers corresponding to the-chi valuation so that always the number visible at the top ofthe pile of chips indicates the lus or minus value of 'the chi ll(in that post. h or ying t e points of eac e anv e rubber is being played, there is provided a disc havmg a lineated values running from zero to 30. vA

vmovable pointer is provided whereby the points of a game may be indicated and the central portion of the disc is differently col- 1 ored on lopposite sides so that when the disc is laid upon :the-table with one side up it will be understood that the points indicated have been made in the irst game, while oublel dial-like face upon which is dewhen the other side of the disc is disposed l upwardly it will be understood that the number of points indicated have been made on the second game of the. rubber. game of bridge to be able to ascertain at any The novel combination, construction and arrangement of parts will be made more apparent hereinafter in the accompanying specification and dra-wings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a yperspective view of one of the racks employed in my improved. system of game counting,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section partly in elevation,

Fig. 3 is one face view of the game counting disc,

Fig. 4 is a view of the reverse side of the game counting disc, and, l

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section of the same, `partly in elevation. f

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts, it will be seenthat there is provided in a manner similar to the construction described in my application Serial aving projecting therefrom a plurality of posts 11a 11b 11c 11d and 11. Obviously any number of these posts may be provided but in the illustrative example of counter described herein and which, as. hereinbefore stated, is particularly adapted for counting the game of bridge, five of such posts are shown. Disposed on each post is a plurality of chips 12, these chips being preferably six in number. It is desirable however, though not necessary, that the chips contained on each post be of a distinguishing color from each of the other sets of chips and furthermore that the post be of a corresponding color so that there will be no difficulty in identifying the proper post upon which to place a chip.

Furthermore, the chips are given valuesl such as illustrated in Fig. 1, the chips being successively valued at 10, 30, 50, 250 and 1000, these arbitrary amounts being selected to conveniently pay the scores made in bridge.

Upon each post there is disposed in a vertical row a series of numbers 11f starting at the center with zero and graduating in both directions in amounts according to the valuation of the chips. contained on that particular post, as for instance on post 11a in Fig. 2, these numbers starting with zero and increasing toward the top and toward the bottom of the post by tens. For the purpose of properly distinguishing the plus and minus value of the amounts disclosed, the amounts graduating downwardly from zero are preferably printed in red while those graduating upwardly are printed in black. Therefore, if for instance, three additional chips were put on post 11a such as indicated by dotted lines the number visible at the top of the pile of chips would be 30, thereby indicating that additional chips to the value of 30 had been placed upon this post. In a like manner if three chips were removed from the post 11l the amount visible at the top of the pile of chips would be 30, but this amount would be indicated in red thus distinguishing the minus quantity from the plus quantity.

Each post has delineated thereon a column of numbers arranged inalike manner, the valuations of which increase in amounts in accordance with the valuation of the chips contained on that particular post as will be immediately apparent. Therefore at any time the valuation of additional chips contained on any rack as well as the valuation of chips removed from any rack will be apparent.

For tallying the points 'of each game there is provided a disc 13 having visible on both sides thereof a dial arrangement 14, the values of which extend from zero to 30. On one side is displayed the words No game for us and on the other side the words One game for us. In order to provide a relatively movable central portion for each disc the disc is preferably constructed of a pair of outer members 15 recessed centrally thereof to accommodate a revoluble central member 16. Between the two outer members 15 is an inner member 17, the eentral opening of which is larger than the central opening in the members 15. The rotary member 16 is composed of two outer disc-like members 18 and 19 and a central portion 20 of a greater diameter. The members 18, 19 and 20 are superposed in the concentric relation thereby providing an annular lip or. flange which reposes between the inner edge of the disc-like members 15. The members 15 and 17 are thereupon fastened together in any suitable manner whereby a disc is provided wherein the outer member and the central portion are relatively rotatable. For facilitating the rotation of the inner disc 16, the center thereof is apertured as at 21 to facilitate the grasping of the disc by the fingers of the player. One side 22 ot the central disc 16 is preferably left white while the other side 23 thereof is preferably of a distinguishing color such for instance as blue. The r0- tary central portion 16 has delineated thereon on each side an arrow 24 which cooperates with the dial 14 for indicating the points of the game.

Obviously by making'the central rotary discv 16 of distinguishing colors on opposite sides and having delineated on one side the words N o game for us and on the other side the words One game for us it will always be apparent which game of the rubber the points indicated on the disc relate to. Therefore the status of each player as regards the game score is made readily apparent and the tallying of the points of the game is made simple.

The racks of my improved game counter are used the same as the racks illustrated and described in my eopending application above identified. Each player is given a rack with preferably six chips on each ost. In counting, all the points made bot at game and honors are paid for to the number nearest 10. For instance, 35 is counted as 40 and so on. After each hand is played the loser spreads out on the table the chips representing each score made by the other side, whether at points or at honors. When the winner has acknowledged that all the scores are accurately paid for he picksup the chips and puts them on his rack.

In counting the points in the game the disc 13 is used. Each player at the beginnin lays the disc with the white side 22 of t e central po 'ion 16 upwardly and there appears therefore the words No game for us. As the points in the game are made the disc is grasped at its outer edge preferably by the left hand and the central portion taken between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand and rotated until the arrow 24 indicates the number of points and a plurality of posts projecting from scored in the particular hand. When one game of the rubber has been won by one side the disc is turned over so that the side 23 of a distinguishing color of the central portion 16 of the disc 1s up and then appears the words One game for us therefore immediately indicating that the side having this particular disc has one game in the rubber.

Obviously this gaine counter may be used for other games and if necessary fractions of amounts between .the valuations of the chips may be kept by the disc counter, therefore broadening the use of this counter ma' terially. While the structure described and illustrated herein has been found to be prac-I tical in every detail, it is not intended that this invention be limitd but reservation is made to make such changes in construction as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

' Having thus described v the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a game counter a rack having a base said base, a plurality of centrally apertured chips disposed on each post, each of said osts being provided with a column of numi ers for indicating the value of the chips,

on each post in excess of or less than the ori inal number, said chips being in sets of di erent values and each chip having its value indicated thereon.

2. In a game counter, a rack including a plurality of posts, a plurality of apertured chips disposed on each post and adapted to be exchanged between the layers, each post being provided .with a co umn of numbers v consisting of two sets inversely arranged, with the zero common to both sets of numbers arranged at the center of the column for indicating tlie value of the chips in excess of or less than the original number.

DONALD McDoNALD. 

